Toyoto recalls ANOTHER 255,000 vehicles in the U.S. including Lexus brands due to fuel leaks

Car manufacturer Toyota is recalling 255,000 cars in North America due to potential problems with their fuel systems, it was announced today.

The company said dozens of the luxury Lexus models could be at risk of fuel leaks and will need to be modified by mechanics.

The cars are part of the latest recall by Toyota, of nearly 1.7 million different automobiles worldwide.

Fuel leaks: Toyota have recalled 255,000 vehicles in the U.S. including the Lexus IS and GS models

It is the latest in a series of quality control woes for the Japanese
carmaker, which has recalled more than 11 million vehicles globally
since late last year.

Toyoto Motor Corp. had built a reputation for quality and reliability
but has struggled to rebuild its image recently after various problems
with its vehicles ranging from steering defects to claims of
unintentional acceleration.

According to Toyota, there have been no accidents suspected of being
related to the defects but have received 75 complaints in the U.S. and
more than 140 unhappy owners in Japan.

Officials said they are writing to the owners of the affected vehicles to arrange repairs.

Owners of a 2006-2007 Lexus GS 300 and GS350, 2006-2009 IS250 and
2006-2008 IS350 are eligible for the free repair, which could take up to
four-and-a-half hours.

19,000 cars in the UK including the Toyota Avensis, 10,000 in Europe and 1.3million in Japan are also being recalled.

Toyoto said insufficient tightening of the fuel pressure sensor
connected to certain engine fuel delivery pipes has led to the pressure
sensor becoming loose over time and this possibility could cause a fuel
leak.

Worldwide issue: Over 1.3million cars in Japan and Europe have also been recalled including the Toyota Avensis which are eligible for free repair

Toyota’s last recall was in November after 650,000 hybrid Prius cars were ordered off the road.

Koji Endo, auto analyst with Advanced Research Japan Co. in Tokyo,
said the latest recall will cost Toyota about 20 billion yen ($240
million), but it will not hurt its earnings performance by much.

'But there is that perception of here we go again, and that hurts Toyota's image, especially in North America,' he said.

Toyota's U.S. sales lagged last year despite an industry recovery,
putting General Motors Co. within reach of reclaiming its title as the
world's biggest car maker by number of vehicles sold.

Toyota Motor Corp. became the top-selling automaker in 2008, dethroning GM after nearly 80 years of dominance.

In December, Toyota agreed to pay $32.4 million in fines to the U.S.
government to settle the investigation into its handling of two recalls.
The latest settlement was on top of the $16.4 million fine Toyota paid
earlier.

Toyota has stayed popular in Japan, partly because government
incentives for green vehicles sent sales of its Prius gasoline-electric
hybrid booming.

Chief Executive Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the automaker's founder,
has vowed to regain trust and be quicker in responding to customer
needs.

Toyota has held the spot of the world's biggest automaker in annual
vehicle sales for three years straight, including last year though
General Motors was close behind. But some believe that Toyota's
relentless drive for growth hurt quality.

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Toyoto recalls ANOTHER 255k vehicles in US including Lexus over fuel leaks